The Utah Division of Water Resources has finalized its Water Resources Plan after processing more than 270 public comments. The plan is the result of years of collaborative efforts, including data gathering and modeling, to identify future water needs throughout the state.
Division Director Candice Hasenyeral stated that a safe and reliable water supply is critical to the prosperity and quality of life in Utah. She noted that the document serves as a long-range planning tool looking 50 years into the future.
The finalized plan focuses on three primary water management principles: utilizing reliable data for informed decisions, taking a comprehensive approach to supply security, and ensuring healthy watersheds to maintain state water resources.
Rachel Shilton, the division's river basin planning manager, said that unlike past statewide water plans which served more as status updates, this plan focuses on goals the division aims to accomplish by 2026. The document was shaped by input from the State Water Plan Advisory Committee, which consists of various experts and stakeholders.
During a 45-day comment period held from September 29 to November 15, the division received 274 original comments. While the numbers in the plan did not change, Hasenyager noted that public input was used to improve the readability and clarity of the report. The division's responses to all comments are included in Appendix I of the report.
Water management involves coordination between several state agencies and local suppliers. Contributing agencies to Utah’s Coordinated Water Action Plan include the Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget, the Department of Agriculture and Food, the Department of Environmental Quality—specifically the divisions of Drinking Water and Water Quality—and the Department of Natural Resources, including the divisions of Water Resources, Water Rights, Wildlife and Forestry, Fire and State Lands.
This coordinated action plan will feature a comprehensive implementation strategy to manage rapid growth, climate change, and the management of uncertain natural resources.
